The herein invention provides desirable improvements over the detachable anchoring devices for a seat assembly relative to a fixed station as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,102,192 and 5,409,296. The named inventor Peter Barile and the assignee of these patents, Shelby Williams Industries, Inc. are common to the herein application. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,480,343 and 4,560,200 disclose other detachable anchoring devices for a seat assembly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,343, the seating assembly comprises a chair or stool 11 which includes a seat 15 secured to the upper end of a post 12 secured upright on the support base 13 in proximity to one end of said base. The support base 13 includes an upturned edge formed at its opposite end which forms a quick release fitting 19 having a registration portion 21 which is inserted into a U-shaped channel 22 secured to a machine base 23. In order to effect removal and insertion of registration portion 21 within channel 22, the chair 11 and the end of the support base 13 opposite the fitting 19 must be lifted vertically approximately two feet (60.96 cm) off of the floor to allow flexing of the portion 26 of the U-shaped channel members 22 for installation and clearance of the registration portion 21 from within the channel member 22. The channel member 22 is open and unobstructed at its opposite lateral ends so that the registration portion 21 is capable of being inadvertently slided laterally out of the channel member where the frictional engagement of the descending portion 26 against the surface 28 is the only deterrent against such lateral displacement of the base 13 relative to the fitting 19. Applicant believes that this frictional engagement is inadequate to prevent such lateral displacement since descending portion 26 is just a simple flexible member. The so-called quick release device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,343 has no means for preventing the seat support from inadvertently being moved laterally out of assembly in the channel member 22 by the movement of a person on the seat 15 before a gaming machine, for instance.
Also, considering the considerable weight of the chair or stool illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,343, considerable force must be exerted against the chair in order to lift it from the floor approximately two feet and then carefully lowering it to the floor after the assembly is engaged in channel member 22. The same difficulty is encountered when it is desired to disengage the chair from the channel 22.
Barile U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,192 eliminated the need for lifting and lowering a somewhat heavy seat assembly 10 with its metal support base 18 in order to install the assembly opposite a station 22. The installation is achieved by sliding movement of the support base 18 toward the bracket 24 until inserted into the bracket and then a lateral sliding movement until the spring member 50 is seated within the recessed portion 54 of the upturned edge 28 of the sled base 18 to releasably lock the sled base 18 within the bracket. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,192, lifting of the seat assembly, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,343 is eliminated and positive locking means are provided for preventing the support base 18 from sliding laterally out of engagement with the bracket 24.
The present invention provides an anchoring system having a novel quick release connector assembly for a sled base of the seat assembly which is operable using a very small degree of vertical lifting of the seat assembly and sled base and which is locked automatically in the mating bracket against lateral displacement from the bracket after installation of the seat assembly in the mating bracket.